Turrialba Volcano

The Turrialba Volcano for the last 150 years has just looked like the highest mountain behind the Irazu Volcano. But when a guide would tell you that it is Costa Rica’s second tallest volcano you then pay a bit more attention to it. It was not until November of 2008 that people really started to notice this sleeping giant. It began a period of serious activity and has left experts on the edge of their seats ever since.

The Turrialba Volcano is located directly south of the Irazu volcano. Before November of 2008 it made for a great day trip, some off-roading, and a nice hike as you made your way to the crater which opened up to incredible views of the valley of Turrialba. The name Turrialba has had many translations. One of them is that we do know it is an Indian name and that Turri means tower of fire and Alba was the daughter of one of the Indian chiefs in the area.

With all the science and all we know about volcanoes today, it always amazes us that most volcanoes are Indian names and we can only imagine the real feeling of an erupting mountain in the eyes of an Indian. In many tribes the volcanoes are related to the gods of the Earth as in the case of Turrialba.

The drive up to the Turrialba volcano is surrounded by farm land, much of which has suffered because of the recent volcanic activity and acid rain that destroys crops and can be harmful to cattle. There are benefits to the activity of the Turrialba volcano as it attracts tourist. The chance to see a beautiful stream of smoke on a clear day coming from the crater’s top makes for excellent pictures and even a very interesting feeling of curiousity where you ask yourself “what’s next?”.

The Turrialba area is already known for its rivers and now with this volcanic activity, who knows, in years to come this might become another La Fortuna. After Arenal’s eruption in the 60’s, the La Fortuna area became a tourist destination and this has been a great economic boost to the area. Turrialba volcano is located two hours outside of San Jose and if you are in the area we cannot talk about this without mentioning “El Sapito” which is the best place to eat in the area.